Troubleshooting Tips
Did your water heater bail on you this past winter? Ideally, you should’ve been able to have it repaired by expert plumbers by now and be saved the trouble of encountering the same problems in the near future. If you haven’t encountered any problems at all, then it’s time to make yourself aware of the many things that can go awry with your hot water tank. Knowing the common hot water tank troubleshooting tips can help you before calling a pro.
Hot Water Tank Troubleshooting
If you’re using a hot water tank, you’ll find that their set of problems is very much different from tankless water heaters, and the problem often lies in the gas itself. When left unattended for a long time, forgoing repairs on your hot water tank can endanger everyone in the family. Here are some of the common troubleshooting tips for hot water tanks and how to handle them before they turn into more serious problems.
Problems with Water Temperature
Is your water heater not producing any hot water at all, or does it provide scalding hot water that prevents you from taking a bath? For the former, the first thing to do is to check if the pilot light is on since it’s most likely that the valve hasn’t been able yet to provide any gas to be delivered to heat your water. For the latter situation, you may want to check the thermostat and see if it’s cranked up, otherwise, it might already be defective. A malfunctioning thermostat can also be the cause of your hot water tank not producing enough hot water, aside from a clogged vent or flue.
Rusty Water
No one wants to see rust on their water, and if your water heater is producing this, two things might be to blame. First, the anode rods have been gradually failing to prevent rust from developing in the tank. Second, corrosion has already been occurring within the glass-lined tank. The usual remedy for this problem is to replace the anode rod, ideally with a magnesium anode rod.
Leaks around the Water Heater
A leaking hot water tank might not necessarily be a cause to panic unless you’re losing copious amounts of water. This happens due to the T&P (or temperature and pressure) valve leaking under extreme pressure or overheating. It can also happen due to corrosion happening within your tank. You can always opt to replace the valve and reduce the thermostat setting to prevent overheating. Unfortunately, sometimes even these cannot stop leaks. For more serious problems with water heaters, trust the plumbing professionals in Saskatoon, like Perfection Plumbing & Drain Cleaning.
Sources:
Troubleshoot and Repair a Gas Water Heater, About
Gas Hot Water Heater Troubleshooting, Home Repair Central